Nicola Willis says police officials have told her off the record they are frustrated some youth offenders they arrest are "back doing it again" because of weak laws.
Speaking at a meet-and-greet organised by Waitakere Indian Association on April 28, 2023, the National Party's deputy leader said if elected, her government will ensure tougher sentences are available for youth criminals.
"I've had conversations off the record with some of our credible men and women in the New Zealand Police, who do great service for us all, and they tell me that their frustration is that some of the youth criminals do something one weekend, get a little bit of a slap on the wrist and an invitation to a family conference over the next few weeks. But then the next weekend they're back doing it again. That is unacceptable to us all," Willis said.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Police Minister Ginny Andersen last week announced the government would more than double its support for businesses targeted by ram raids and aggravated robberies.
The funding will be used to provide security systems, bollards, and fog cannons to affected businesses. Kiwi-Indian retailers have welcomed the move, but many say lots more needs to be done.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon has proposed opening military-style academies to rehabilitate youth offenders. Willis dismissed concerns that such a solution could be a bit too tough on youngsters.
"If you have talked to any of those kids or understood their backgrounds, you'll know that many of them actually come from really difficult homes. And it is kind to take those kids and put them in a situation where they have boundaries, they have a routine, they have discipline, they have three meals a day, they have adults surrounding them who take care of them and their future, who will get them off drugs, off alcohol," she said.
Willis added a National government will also launch a crackdown on organised crime and equip the police with more tools to do that. "Gang memberships increased 50 per cent in the past few years. The gangs are literally recruiting faster than the police, and we think that's behind a lot of the problems that we're seeing in the community," she said.
Willis met several members of the Indian community at the Waitakere Indian Association (WIA) event on Friday. President Sunil Kaushal welcomed her at WIA's office in the western Auckland suburb of Massey.